Patent · US Active

Erasing a stored information pattern on a storage medium

US8018617B2 · kind B2 · utility

7Cited by
20References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 20, 2004
Grant dateSep 13, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 11, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F2221/2143
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method is presented of erasing, in a document data processing device, a stored information pattern on a rewritable data carrier that is accessible by a data processing facility of the document data processing device. The document data processing device includes primary processes for processing document data, wherein data may be stored on the data carrier, and secondary processes for erasing stored data, through overwriting a selected storage area of the carrier by a shredding pattern. According to the method, the primary and secondary processes are run asynchronously, e.g., the secondary processes are run in background, in order not to hinder the primary processes. In a particular embodiment, an initial shredding run is made directly after a file is no longer used, and additional shredding runs are made in background.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.